Unemployment rates fell across the Arkansas River Valley in March, but are still higher than the same time last year.

According to data recently released by the Department of Workforce Services (DWS), Russellville has a non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in March of 7.3 percent, down from 7.5 percent in February and and 8.3 percent in January. However, March’s rate was higher than in 2012, when unemployment was 7 percent.

The trend was similar across the River Valley. In Pope County, the unemployment rate of 7.2 percent was lower than February’s 7.7 percent, but higher than the 6.9 percent from March 2012. Johnson County’s March unemployment rate of 6.7 percent was also slightly higher than 2012’s 6.6 percent.

Yell County had the lowest unemployment rate in the region, at 6 percent, and was the only county in the region to have a lower rate than in March 2012, when unemployment was at 6.2 percent.

Statewide, the Arkansas unemployment rate remained unchanged from February’s 7.2 percent. The number was slightly down from March 2012’s rate of 7.3 percent.

“Arkansas’ unemployment rate remained at 7.2 percent for the second consecutive month,” Kimberly Friedman, DWS communications director, said. “While the number of employed declined, the decrease was not enough to impact the unemployment rate.”

The national unemployment rate for March was 7.6 percent, down from 8.2 percent during the same time in 2012.